


Halloween at Silas

by psychotic_cat17



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-27
Updated: 2015-10-29
Packaged: 2018-04-28 12:49:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5091359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psychotic_cat17/pseuds/psychotic_cat17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Halloween at Silas and Laura wants to attend the campus-wide bash. Her first step is convincing Carmilla to go with her, in costume. Can Carmilla be trusted to come up with something appropriate? Follow the fluff and shenanigans as Halloween week unfolds.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've rated this fic as explicit, but the first three chapters are just pure fun and fluff. I hope you enjoy.

**Halloween at Silas**

 

**Chapter 1**

 Ever since Laura had gotten back from class late that afternoon, Carmilla had been aware of the quick, fleeting glances her girlfriend had been giving her. Laura wasn’t exactly the most subtle person, and she didn’t usually have any trouble saying what was on her mind, so Carmilla wondered what was going on in that complicated little head of hers. But as curious as Carmilla was, she wasn’t someone who pried by nature. She had her own secrets, some she’d kept for centuries, so she was content to wait until Laura was ready to say whatever it was that was on her mind.

 Hours after that first loaded glance, Laura still hadn’t said anything more meaningful than their usual small talk. She was supposed to be the silent, introspective type and Laura the chatterbox, but today they both seemed to be in a contemplative mood. Over the past few months, they’d both adjusted to a more symbiotic middle ground where she tried to be more engaged so Laura didn’t think she was just ignoring her, and Laura scaled back on talking about every little thing that was going on around Silas because they both knew she just didn’t care.

 Normally, Carmilla would be grateful for such a long period of silence, particularly since their room sometimes felt like a busy transportation hub with so many people coming and going, most without the courtesy of even knocking first. But the quiet that she cherished so much hung heavily between them tonight and Carmilla couldn’t help feeling the slightest bit uneasy about Laura’s reluctance to talk. Carmilla did not like feeling this indecisive, all because she cared about whatever was milling around in Laura’s brain, making her act so uncharacteristically indecisive.

 She was acutely aware of Laura’s every move, which wasn’t really that unusual, but tonight it was making her uncomfortable. Usually, she liked knowing where Laura was in the room because her tiny human’s presence had a calming effect on her. The dangers of Silas University were very real, and Carmilla was always more centered when Laura was next to her where she could protect her if she had to. But that wasn’t the only reason Carmilla liked having Laura close by.

 Some of Carmilla’s favorite ambient sounds were the strong, healthy beats of Laura’s heart, and her steady breathing. When Laura was focused on something, her breathing became soft and shallow, and Carmilla could almost predict when she would take a deeper breath to replenish her depleted alveoli with a burst of oxygen. She could pick up on all the quirky little things Laura did that she probably wasn’t even aware of, like tapping her pen or pencil to the rhythm of a waltz whenever she was stuck on her homework. Carmilla particularly love that one because it always reminded her of the first time they’d waltzed together.

 She was so attuned to Laura that without even looking, she knew that Laura was currently sitting cross-legged on her bed, her back against the wall with one of her textbooks in her lap, a notebook at her side, and a black pen twirling restlessly in her fingers. She was quiet but jittery, and it was preventing Carmilla from being able to focus on her own reading. Laura was uncharacteristically fidgety, and Carmilla didn’t like not knowing why.

 When Carmilla caught the fifth glance Laura threw her way in half as many minutes, she’d finally had enough of this game. One of them was going to have to break the ice before they both went crazy, and it might as well be her. So she closed her book and tossed it to the end of her bed before looking directly at Laura, who now seemed to be intently studying an interesting passage in her textbook. Of course, Carmilla didn’t believe for a second that she was actually comprehending a single word of it if she was in fact trying to read.

 “Okay, Creampuff,” Carmilla said with a sigh, “come over here.” She scooted further over on the mattress until she was almost touching the wall, patting the spot next to her as she made room for Laura. Even if she couldn’t get Laura to tell her what was bothering her, Carmilla was certain they’d both feel a bit better if they were closer together.

 Carmilla waited patiently as Laura made her decision. She distracted herself during the wait by focusing on the way Laura drew her bottom lip between her teeth as she weighed whether to say what was on her mind or not. It was an unconscious gesture that made Carmilla want to walk over and soothe the worried lip with her tongue, but she resisted the urge and patiently waited for Laura to come to her. If Laura still wasn’t ready to talk then she wouldn’t force her.

 It seemed to take forever, but in reality was probably less than ten seconds, for Laura to unleash that radiant smile that always made Carmilla’s chest fill with a burst of warmth, and push her homework aside. Carmilla felt an answering smile tug at the corners of her mouth as Laura quickly pushed off her own bed and crossed the middle of the room before sitting down next to her. Laura immediately leaned into her side, and Carmilla wrapped an arm around her back, drawing her even closer.

 “What’s on your mind, Hollis?” she asked after another minute of silence. Carmilla could have spent hours just holding Laura close, soaking up her warmth and energy, but they needed to talk first.

 “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Laura replied, her tone just a touch too innocent for Carmilla to even consider believing her.

 “Yes, you do. You’ve been giving me side-long glances all night. Whatever you’re trying to work up the courage to say, just say it. I’m sure we’ll both feel better once you do.” Truth be told, Carmilla was probably more anxious than Laura at this point, she just did a better job of hiding it. She was the one who was completely in the dark about what was going on.

 Carmilla had hundreds of years of practice at acting stoic and unaffected by whatever surprises were thrown her way, but Laura had a way of sneaking through all of her defenses. It hadn’t been a concerted effort on Laura’s part, and that was what had made the human’s actions all the more compelling. There was just something about Laura that called to a part of Carmilla she’d long thought dead. It had the ability to hurt her deeper and more irrevocably than she might be able to survive, but was too potent, too powerful, to undeniable for her soul to ignore.

 Laura was silent for another minute before finally speaking. “The Silas Halloween Bash is this Friday. I want to go. I want _us_ to go. In costume,” Laura said with her usual fast delivery, but with a short, noticeable pause between each statement. The staccato rhythm was a little overwhelming for Carmilla, and it took her a moment to process everything that Laura had said, as disjointed as it was.

 Carmilla knew about the party, of course. At a university like Silas it was inevitable that Halloween would warrant the most extravagant gathering. She had even suspected that Laura would probably want to go. Laura had friends and she liked to socialize - when they weren’t facing some horribly unspeakable evil - so it made sense that she’d attend the party, but Carmilla was a little lost at the rest of Laura’s requests. It had been a while since she’d been in a relationship that hadn’t been orchestrated by her mother, and it took Carmilla a minute to realize that Laura was essentially asking her out on a date.

 While she wasn’t opposed to going out, Carmilla pretty much had everything she needed right here in their dorm room. Laura was here, an adequate number of interesting books were here, and she had about a four day supply of blood stocked in the fridge. She was perfectly content right here.

 The outside world had people; a seemingly disproportionate amount of _stupid_ people that Carmilla had to constantly remind herself not to kill just because they irked her. Logically, she knew that if everyone killed the people that annoyed them, there would be no one left in the world, but that didn’t make it much easier to restrain herself. What did help her behave was remembering that Laura had annoyed her too, at first – she still did sometimes – but Carmilla had never considered using such extreme measures against her adorable little human.

 Carmilla shook herself out of her inner thoughts before they could take a darker turn, leading her into another fantasy where she could happily, and guiltlessly, maul one particular redheaded friend of Laura’s. At times she’d had daydreams about dismembering each of the ginger-haired trio, but one held a special place of honor in the blackest corner of her heart.

 “Um, I don’t know about the _‘costume’_ part of your plan, but the rest of it is doable,” Carmilla said instead, hoping that Laura wouldn’t guess what she’d just been thinking about. It wouldn’t be the most horrible thing she’d ever been subjected to if she attended the party, and she would even try to check her snarky sarcasm at the door if it made Laura happy, but she wasn’t too keen on having to dress up in a ridiculous costume as well.

 “Oh, come on, Carm,” Laura said enthusiastically. “It’ll be fun.”

 Carmilla almost acquiesced as soon as Laura called her _Carm_. It was a serious weakness of hers and she was lucky that Laura hadn’t figured out the power that nickname had over her yet. Of course, knowing Laura, even when she did finally realize it, Carmilla doubted that she would ever use that knowledge to manipulate her. It was one of the many reasons that Carmilla loved the tiny, kind-hearted human.

 “You and I have very different definitions of fun,” Carmilla grumbled even as she felt herself giving in. Then an idea popped into her head that she hoped would satisfy both of them. “What if I just went as myself? I’m already a vampire. And isn’t that one of the traditional costume options.”

 Laura just shook her head in mock disappointment. “The point is to go as something you aren’t. It’s like a night of make believe. On Halloween, you can be something or someone you’ve always wanted to be. Or even take a creature that has frightened you in the past and turn it into something harmless and fun for one night. The only limit is your imagination, and that’s what makes it so much fun.”

 Carmilla sighed, feeling herself weakening even more on the subject. Laura’s enthusiasm had always been difficult to not get caught up in, and this time was no different. She still couldn’t say that she was excited about the possibility of dressing up, especially since she had no idea what she should be.

 “Well, what are you going as?” she asked, hoping to get an idea of what might be appropriate. For a moment, Carmilla had a thought of teaming up together and figuring out a couples costume, but the idea threatened to make her gag, so she kept it to herself. She was far too independent to need to rely on someone else for something as juvenile as a costume idea. This was something she could figure out for herself… maybe.

 “Oh, no, I’m not telling you!” Laura replied gleefully. The unfettered joy in Laura’s tone told Carmilla that she’d definitely already decided on a costume. It also gave her the niggling feeling that she might not like what Laura had chosen. “I want it to be a surprise.”

 Carmilla scowled a little at that. In her experience, surprises were rarely a good thing, but she couldn’t begrudge Laura her excitement. Laura’s ingrained optimism was yet another trait that differed so totally from her own psychological make-up, and it made the human that much more appealing to Carmilla.

 She didn’t know how Laura did it, but her girlfriend seemed to know exactly where her anxiety over this whole thing stemmed from. “If you haven’t come up with any ideas for a costume by Thursday, we can talk about a few options then if it’ll make you feel better.”

 Carmilla grumbled a little more as she pulled Laura closer, but it was mostly just for show. Laura already knew she was a pushover when it came to her, but that didn’t mean Carmilla had to be super obvious about that fact. “Fine,” she said grumpily. “I’ll go to the Halloween bash with you. In costume,” Carmilla quickly amended before Laura could harp on that point. Laura was a stickler for details when it suited her and Carmilla knew she’d want the entire promise this time.

 “Hooray!” Laura exclaimed exuberantly, throwing her arms around Carmilla’s neck and giving her a kiss. When she would have pulled away, Carmilla stopped her with a hand on the back of her neck. Instead, the kiss deepened, and Carmilla didn’t pull back until she felt Laura’s hand on her chest, gently pushing her away.

 “Whoa there, Karnstein,” Laura said breathlessly.  “Enough of that. I – I have homework to finish. And you… you have your own stuff to do, whatever that may be.”

 Carmilla smiled a very satisfied grin as Laura stumbled over her words and disentangled herself, walking just a little unsteadily back to the safety of her own bed. She could hear Laura’s heart hammering in her chest, and wasn’t the least bit mad that Laura had put the brakes on because she knew the effort it must have taken for Laura to stop. Sure, she was a little uncomfortable now, but that was pretty much her constant state when she was around Laura anyway, so she could handle it.

 And since Laura didn’t have the time to play right now, Carmilla decided to start brainstorming up some ideas about what she could throw together as a costume. She might not have been excited about going to the party, but it was important to Laura, so she’d put some effort into it. Hopefully, by Friday, she’d have a kickass concept that she could pull off. And make Laura happy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 The rest of the week passed relatively quickly for Laura. On Thursday, when she asked if Carmilla still needed any help with costume ideas, Carmilla had said that she’d figured something out. Laura had really been hoping for more than that, maybe a hint or something, but Carmilla was as chatty as usual on the subject – meaning not at all. Laura had to admit that she was curious about what Carmilla had come up with, and maybe a little anxious as well. Giving Carmilla free range with her own costume idea meant that she could go in any direction.

 Laura was glad she was busy with school and her own costume prep because she could have driven herself crazy thinking about Carm’s costume choice. Maybe she would dress up as one of her beloved philosophical figures. Or as a girl from one of the time periods she’d lived through. Laura thought that would be interesting, particularly seeing Carmilla as she might have been when she was eighteen, before she’d been turned into a vampire. But Laura had no idea where Carmilla was drawing her inspiration from, so she’d just have to wait for the party to see.

 When Friday evening finally came, Laura grabbed her pre-packed bag of costume paraphernalia and told Carmilla that she was getting ready in Perry’s room. They had already agreed to meet up at the party later because Laura didn’t want Carmilla to see her costume until it was all put together. But as much as she liked her costume idea, Laura had second-guessed herself a couple of times over the past week. She hoped that Carmilla would see the humor in the costume she’d chosen instead of potentially being offended by it. Tonight was all about having fun, and Laura was determined to not let anything get in the way of her goal.

 As a child, Laura had dressed up as a vampire almost every year for Halloween. Her father still had the visual proof in the form of pictures since he’d meticulously documented pretty much everything she’d done. He’d never let her eat the candy she’d been given while out trick-or-treating, too afraid that even their neighbors couldn’t be trusted when his only child’s health was on the line, but it had always been fun to walk around the neighborhood with her father anyway. And tonight, Laura was going to bring back her childhood costume tradition.

 Laura didn’t know what had drawn her to that first vampire costume all those years ago – the fake blood capsules, the fangs, the cool cape – but now she had a new reason to want to dress up as one. It had been years since she’d donned any type of Halloween costume, but the joy of it all came rushing back as Laura made her way to Perry’s room. She and Laf had decided that Perry’s dorm was the best place to put their costumes together since Perry was a floor don, and therefore had a room all to herself. Laf spent so much time over there that it was almost like they lived together anyway, so it was easy for them to agree to meet there.

 It had taken Laura the better part of the week to get everything she needed for her costume together. If she was going to dress up like a vampire, both as a throw-back to her younger years and a playful homage to her blood-drinking girlfriend, then she was going to go as clichéd as possible. She thought it would be a lot of fun to play up the idea of ‘the Count’ who was still stuck back in the century they were turned in.

 Laura had already owned a pair of sleek form-fitting black pants and black boots. She’d just had to shine up the scuffed footwear to make them a little more presentable as a high-class product. Laura had ‘borrowed’ one of Carmilla’s belts – a black leather one with a simple silver buckle heavier than any she had in her own collection. She probably had one of her own that would have worked, but she kind of liked taking Carmilla’s things, and she’d known that this one would be perfect for her costume.

 The rest of her outfit had been a little harder to come by. In her mind, Laura had pictured a very specific blood red shirt, made of some sort of shimmery material that would give the appearance of viscosity. Luckily, LaFontaine had been able to help out with that. They knew another student in their department who had just what Laura was looking for, and the young man had been nice enough to let them borrow it for her costume. It was a long-sleeved, button-down, bright blood red satin shirt that was a little big on Laura’s small frame. Laura was actually really excited that it was loose on her because she’d pictured it having more of a billowy quality rather than being skin-tight.

 A cape was the final piece of wardrobe that Laura needed to procure. There was no shortage of them on campus either, from the Renaissance crowd who were far too attached to their high quality garments, to the fraternity brothers who used cheaper versions in their initiation rituals to scare pledges. But again, Laura was looking for a very specific type, and this time Perry was the one with the connection she needed.

 One of the other floor dons that Perry was friendly with was an amateur, but very enthusiastic, magician, and he owned the kind of high-collared cape that Laura was looking for. In this case, Laura had been required to trade some of her time helping him practice a few new tricks as his assistant in exchange for borrowing the garment. She very much hoped that she would not regret her decision to make that bargain, but Perry assured her he was a good guy, so she’d made the deal.

 With her wardrobe taken care of, all that remained to complete her look was a pair of fangs and the requisite blood to really sell the blood-thirsty vampire thing. When she’d first told Perry and Laf about her costume idea, LaFontaine had shown an almost troubling amount of excitement at making her a custom set of fangs, but Laura was kind of set on using the ill-fitting plastic ones that came in a standard Halloween kit because of their cheesiness. For her, tonight was all about being fun and playful instead of terrifying, and she was pretty sure that Laf would have made the scariest set of fangs possible if she’d let them.

 Laf had been so disappointed about not being allowed to help her with the teeth that Laura hadn’t had the heart to decline when they offered to concoct a realistic-looking blood-like substance for her. Laura would have been just as happy to use the capsules of fake blood that came with the costume kit, but Laf really wanted to contribute, and this was right up their alley. Although when Laura looked at the finished product in the mirror, she was glad that she’d let Laf help with the blood. It was incredibly realistic, and Laura was pleased with how it looked dripping from the corners of her mouth.

 “Hey, you did a good job on this, Laf,” Laura said as she gave herself one last glance before turning away from the mirror. “It looks great. And it doesn’t taste nearly as bad as I thought it would.” Since they’d applied the fake blood around her mouth, it was inevitable that some of it had gotten inside. And while Laura hadn’t been trying to sample it, she would have admitted to being curious about how it tasted. Something that red was just too tempting to pass up.

 “Thanks,” Laf said with a proud grin. “I tried to get the look just right, but make it a little thicker than actual blood so it would stick better instead of just dripping off your face. I added a little bit of glucose to sweeten it up a bit and make it more palatable just in case you got some in your mouth. Essentially though, it’s pretty much just flavored lube.” Laf gave a shrug of their shoulders, but it was clear they were pleased with themselves.

 “Ah, I thought it tasted oddly familiar,” Laura mumbled, touching up the droplets one last time. She didn’t quite realize what she’d said until Perry’s stifled snort reached her ears. Laura immediately felt heat rising up her neck and into her face as she tried to find a way to salvage what she’d said. “Um, I mean…” she trailed off, her brain unable to come up with any other explanation for why she’d know what lube tasted like except for the real one.

 Laf chuckled and patted her on the shoulder. “Calm down, Laura. That wasn’t exactly the revelation of the century. Although you might want to keep that information from your father if you don’t want him trekking up here with a shotgun to kill Carmilla. Or force you two into the nearest wedding chapel.” The amusement in their voice was obvious.

 Laura let out a groan. “You are having way too much fun at the expense of my humiliation.”

 “You have nothing to be humiliated about,” Perry said as she walked over and squeezed Laura’s shoulder, shooing LaFontaine away in the process. She took a moment to look in the mirror and adjust her own costume one more time before continuing. “What you do in private is nobody’s business but your own. Besides,” Perry said, throwing Laf a glance over her shoulder, “Carmilla’s kind of hot.”

 “Excuse me!” Laf squeaked indignantly, whirling back towards them so fast they almost lost their balance. They had to make a last second grab for the side of Perry’s dresser to steady themselves before they toppled over.

 “Oh, would you look at the time,” Perry said airily, pushing up the sleeve of her pristine white sweater to glance at the non-existent watch strapped around her wrist. “We really should get going. We told Danny we’d meet her at eight.” Perry looked back at Laf. “Let’s go… Frankenstein.”

 “I am _not_ Frankenstein,” Laf exclaimed, stopping just short of stomping their foot on the ground in a small tantrum. As irritated as they were about Perry’s mistake, they still followed their friend as she walked out the door, probably just to keep arguing to be perfectly honest. “Frankenstein was the doctor. _I_ am Frankenstein’s _monster_.”

 Laura just rolled her eyes and followed them out of the dorm room, closing the door behind them as she smiled to herself. This was an argument she’d been hearing all night. Perry had been calling Laf Frankenstein all night long, and it never failed to drive LaFontaine crazy. Laura knew that Perry was doing it on purpose now. The first time, Perry might have made the common yet innocent mistake, but every subsequent time she had very obviously just been trying to rile Laf up. Laura still hadn’t quite figured out if LaFontaine knew Perry was kidding and just kept playing along to entertain them both or what, but it was a lot of fun either way.

 Her friends certainly did make an odd pair, but it had worked for them since childhood so who was Laura to judge. Of course, tonight they made an even more unlikely pair. Perry was dressed up like Alison Hendrix from _Orphan Black_ , probably feeling a kind of kinship to the suburban soccer mom who just wished her crazy life was normal and much less weird and dangerous than it tended to be. LaFontaine was dressed as Frankenstein’s monster, a creature pieced together from parts of different corpses. There were probably some great beauty and the beast jokes to be made about their costumes, but Laura was content to just watch her friends jockey good-naturedly back and forth.

 Just ahead of her, Perry bumped Laf into the hall wall, pushing them off balance in their bulky clothes. Laf was clumsy enough in their blocky costume that they slid down the wall to the ground. Perry couldn’t stop laughing at the unceremonious heap Laf had fallen into, but she did manage to help them up with Laura’s assistance.

 “I’m going to make you pay for that,” Laf threatened with what Laura hoped was a mock glare.

 “Oh, yeah,” Perry shot back, lifting an eyebrow. A small smile crept over her lips and she said, “You’d have to catch me first.” Then she took off running, easily evading the uncoordinated grasp of Laf’s hands.

 Again, all Laura could do was shake her head and jog after them as Laf pursued Perry vainly. Perry was much quicker, particularly in her unencumbered costume, and was just teasing Laf, letting them get almost close enough to grab her before dancing out of the way. They were both having a great time, laughing and throwing playful banter back and forth as they traversed across the quad. _Yes_ , Laura thought, looking after them, _these are my friends. And I couldn’t imagine having any ones better._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 Laura had been at the party for nearly half an hour and she still hadn’t seen any sign of Carmilla. She was having fun with Perry, Laf, Danny, and even Kirsch, but she was beginning to wonder if Carmilla would ever show up. For a while, she’d been entertained by the costumes everyone had put together, from the simplest white bed sheet ghost to a very detailed and elaborate suit of armor that Kirsch had explained was an excellent copy taken from some futuristic space age video game that she’d never heard of. It was still cool even though she had no reference for how it was supposed to look.

 Danny had come dressed as Xena, Warrior Princess, saying that at least one of Carmilla’s nicknames for her had come in handy for something. Laura just thought she’d wanted an excuse to carry around a sword all night. Danny said it was just a prop, but Laura had her doubts about that, particularly when she kept threatening to run Kirsch through if his eyes didn’t stop wandering downward.

 As for Kirsch, apparently he’d really wanted to be a part of a joint costume with Danny, and had been set on going as Xena’s sidekick, Gabrielle, until Danny had talked him out of it. Laura didn’t know how Danny had done that, probably with threats or bribery, likely both, but she was a little disappointed. It would have been hilarious to see Kirsch in a blond wig, cropped tank top, and skirt. She was certain her imagination wasn’t doing justice to what the actual visual would have looked like. And it certainly would have made for an even more entertaining night.

 Instead, however, Danny had convinced Kirsch to dress up like a gladiator, which he was having a lot of fun with. Laura could have done without him having a fake sword as well, particularly because he was constantly playing with it, whipping it around and occasionally smacking people with it while trying to convince Danny to fence with him. Against Danny, Laura knew Kirsch wouldn’t have a prayer, so it was better for his ego that she kept vetoing that terrible idea.

 The recreation center was filled with students having a good time. The snacks were decent and not _all_ the punch bowls were spiked, so not everyone was acting like an inebriated idiot. The music was decent and not so loud that it drowned out the possibility of having a conversation. All in all, the party was a great success, and the fun that her friends were having was infectious. But the one person Laura most wanted to share the night with still wasn’t here.

 Laura was absently listening to Kirsch go on about some party the Zetas were throwing after the campus sponsored one was over, trying to convince them all to attend, when Laf started choking on their drink. At first, Laura was concerned, but she became more intrigued as Laf kept glancing at something across the room. “Um, I think your date’s here,” Laf spluttered out between coughs, tilting their chin in the direction of the entrance.

 Just the thought of Carmilla finally arriving sent a happy jolt through Laura. As certain as she was that Carmilla wouldn’t have stood her up, there was always that insistent little voice of doubt in her brain that tried to sabotage her happiness at every opportunity. But as she turned around to catch a glimpse of Carmilla, every thought in her head was drowned out by the pounding of her heart and she felt her breath catch in her chest.

 Carmilla hadn’t dressed up as a monster or creature of the night for Halloween, she’d just _dressed up_. And while Laura pretty much always thought Carmilla looked sexy as hell, even when she was annoying her with that disaffected attitude she liked to put on, this outfit had her reminding herself to breathe before she passed out. She was used to seeing Carmilla in jeans, leather pants, random T-shirts and tank tops, maybe the occasional button-down shirt, but nothing like this. Laura hadn’t even known that Carmilla owned any formal wear, and this certainly hadn’t been what she’d imagined Carmilla would pick if she had.  She’d honestly kind of pictured Carmilla as a dress kind of girl, probably based mostly on the era that Carmilla had been born in, but she was more than happy that wasn’t the route Carmilla had taken tonight.

 The black trousers Carmilla wore looked like they’d been specifically, and artfully, tailored for her, and Laura couldn’t stop her mind from wandering to thoughts that focused primarily on wondering if Carmilla’s ass looked as good in those pants as they did in her leather ones. It would be almost impossible for them to make it look any better, but Laura wouldn’t be surprised if they did.

 On top, Carmilla was wearing a fitted black suit jacket over top of a blue button-down dress shirt. A red and yellow diagonally striped tied was knotted perfectly at her throat. Laura wasn’t entirely sure why she found that particular accessory so sexy, but it probably had to do with all the other uses she could imagine for that tie.

 It took Laura a moment to pull her thoughts away from the direction they were headed before she had gone too far down the rabbit hole. As incredible as Carmilla looked, it was actually the rest of the accessories she was wearing that were the most intriguing. She was wearing a pair of black-framed glasses that Laura knew she certainly didn’t need to correct any deficiencies with her eyesight. They had the potential to look nerdy, but as with everything else, Carmilla pulled them off seamlessly. They did have the effect of giving her a more docile, mild-mannered look instead of her usual predatory vibe.

 The final piece to Carmilla’s costume was a grey hat with a black band around the base of the bowl. Laura thought the style made it a fedora, but she didn’t really know much about hats. It made Carmilla look quite a bit like an old school PI, or maybe a gangster, and Laura was still left wondering exactly what Carmilla had been going for when she’d put her costume together. Whatever it was, the whole package was deliciously appetizing and it took Laura a few moments to mentally kick herself out of her stupor, with a little help from the elbow LaFontaine dug into her side.

 Before she started across the room towards Carmilla, Laura met her eyes and was mildly confused by the moment of vulnerability she saw there for just a second before it was replaced by Carmilla’s usual confidence. They both had to skirt around the dance floor, which made their journey a little longer, but the benefit was that they were somewhere relatively quiet and unpopulated when they did finally meet up.

 “A vampire. Really, Laura,” Carmilla said as soon as they stood in front of each other. Laura could hear the hint of amusement in her voice as she shook her head indulgently. At least she didn’t seem the least bit offended by her choice of costumes, and that made Laura release a breath she hadn’t even known she’d been holding.

 “Well, you get to be a vampire all the time. I thought it was only fair that I get to wear the fangs for one evening,” Laura said with just the slightest bit of innuendo in her voice. She held up the plastic fangs that she’d taken out of her mouth before speaking, knowing from previous experiences that night that the ill-fitting molds were impossible to talk with.

 “You can have them,” Carmilla said, glancing disdainfully down at the uncomfortable-looking appliance in Laura’s hand. When her eyes swung back upwards, Laura noticed that they never made it past her lips. “But you know, the mark of a good vampire is actually the vintage of the blood they drink.”

 Laura had just enough time to crease her forehead in confusion at Carmilla’s cryptic words before her girlfriend’s lips descended on hers. She smiled through the kiss when she realized that Carmilla had just been looking for an excuse to kiss her, not that she needed one. It didn’t last for nearly as long as Laura suddenly wanted it to, but they were at a crowded party, so it was probably best to keep things as light as possible, for now.

 “Mmm, tastes like… lube?” Carmilla said with a raised eyebrow after running her tongue over her lips to pick up any of the remnants that may have been left behind.

 Laura laughed. “That’s what I said. Apparently, it gives the right appearance or consistency or something. Laf was very proud of theirself for making it look so real. Anyway, what are you? A gangster? A random well-dressed citizen?” She paused for a second before throwing out one more guess. “A private dick?”

 Carmilla quirked an eyebrow. “Been holding on to that one long?”

 “Just since I saw you at the door,” Laura replied with one of her endearing smiles. Then she became a little more serious. “You really do kind of look like one of those old timey private investigators. It’s the hat.”

 “Well, I’m not any of those things. I’m actually a specific person. Fictitious, but you know who they are.”

 Laura looked at Carmilla again, her gaze travelling from top to bottom and back again. She could even sense an idea trying to make its way to the forefront of her mind, but unfortunately she was having trouble focusing on anything other than the fine cut of Carmilla’s suit and how sexy it made her look. “Can I get a hint?” Laura finally asked when it became clear to her that she wasn’t going to be able to guess on her own.

 “Okay,” Carmilla said, a small smile curving over her lips.

 Laura watched as Carmilla loosened her tie and nimbly flicked open a couple of buttons on her blue shirt. When three or four had been released, Carmilla pulled the two sides apart, revealing another shirt with the Superman emblem emblazoned on it beneath her dress shirt.

 “Oh my god. You’re Superman!” Laura exclaimed. She could see it now. The blue shirt with the red and yellow tie were all the primary colors that traditionally made up the color scheme of Superman’s suit. That coupled with the glasses and Laura couldn’t believe she hadn’t figured it out.

 “Clark Kent, actually,” Carmilla immediately corrected with a shrug while re-buttoning her shirt and straightening her tie. “You’re always playing Lois Lane, so I figured I might as well try to be your Clark Kent.” The vulnerability was back in Carmilla’s eyes and that only made her words that much more perfect to Laura. Carmilla had really put a lot of thought into her costume.

 “You,” Laura said, stepping forward so that their bodies touched, “are the sweetest thing.” Then she slid her arms around Carmilla’s neck and drew her down for another kiss. This one was a little longer than the first, and Laura could only hope that it conveyed all of her appreciation at the effort Carmilla had put into such a perfect costume.

 When they broke apart, Laura tried for a little levity, giving Carmilla the opportunity to regain a little bit of her usual stoic composure. “Clark Kent, huh? You didn’t want to be my Superman?”

 Instead of taking the easy way out, Carmilla surprised Laura once again by being sweet, and showing a side of herself that only Laura was allowed to see. “Well, Superman belongs to the world. He’s a hero and has an obligation to do what’s best for the greater good. Clark Kent, on the other hand, he just belongs to Lois Lane. Nobody else is as important to him, and he can just be himself. So, yeah, I’d rather be your Clark Kent.”

 Laura kissed Carmilla again, this time not stopping until she was out of breath. “You’ve convinced me,” Laura whispered, still so close that her lips brushed Carmilla’s with every word. “Clark Kent is officially a thousand times sexier than Superman ever could be.” She quickly pecked Carmilla on the lips one more time before pulling back and sliding her hand down Carmilla’s arm until their fingers entwined. “Now, let’s go see everyone else before I forget that it was my idea to go out tonight.”

 Carmilla smiled indulgently as she walked beside Laura back to her group of friends. “So I take it you like my costume.” Her playfulness was back and Laura couldn’t have been happier.

 “I was honestly just hoping that you wouldn’t come as Catmilla once I vetoed your idea of coming as a vampire.” Laura squeezed Carmilla’s hand when she saw her girlfriend scowl at the playful nickname she had for her panther form. It was an automatic response on Carmilla’s part, and she really didn’t mind when Laura called her that, as long as it wasn’t too often. Laura had asked the first time she’d noticed Carmilla’s displeasure.

 “This costume is way better,” Laura said, indicating the suit Carmilla was wearing. “Besides, I like knowing you belong only to me,” she said teasingly. Laura had never been particularly possessive over any of her previous girlfriends, and she couldn’t say that she was that way about Carmilla either, but it was kind of nice to know that Carmilla considered herself hers.

 “If we skipped the meet and greet with your friends, we could go back to the dorm and I could _show_ you just how much I belong to you.” Carmilla’s voice had turned low and sexy, keeping the suggestion just between them as they got closer and closer to Laura’s circle of friends. The implication sent a shiver of pleasure racing down Laura’s spine, and she felt the muscles in her core clench in anticipation.

 Before she could get pulled too deeply into the fantasy Carmilla was trying to seduce her with, Laura put a little more distance between them while still holding onto Carmilla’s hand. “You are dangerous,” she chastised lightly, keeping her voice low so only Carmilla could hear her. “Now, behave. Or I’ll drag you to the Zeta after party, too.”

 Carmilla let out a soft laugh, but didn’t say anything more risqué. Instead, she released Laura’s hand and draped her arm casually across Laura’s shoulders, bringing the human flush against the side of her body. “Okay. Consider your warning headed, and your threat effective. Let’s just get this over with so I can have you all to myself.”

 Laura shook her head but smiled at Carmilla’s one-track mind. It wasn’t like she could really blame her. Laura’s thoughts weren’t exactly any more pure than Carmilla’s. She just had a better reason to ignore them for the moment than Carmilla did. So ignore them she would, until the dance was over and it was more appropriate to let her mind wander towards more pleasant past times.


End file.
